I Wish Tonight
by Kathryn Claire O'Connor
Summary: Last story in my "Star" series. Just as David and Amanda are getting settled into married life, a curveball knocks Amanda back off of her feet, plunging her back into the heart of her uncertainties. Can help from some of the most unexpected of sources keep these newlyweds from falling into deja vu? More of the Love Dare included.
1. Chapter 1

July 2, 2012

Amanda stumbled into the dining room of the hotel in Valdosta, Georgia, hand in hand with David, ready for a late breakfast. David headed for the buffet line and Amanda went straight for the coffee maker. Something that Jade had told her in a whirl of bold bravery the day before the wedding came back to Amanda as she grabbed a coffee mug.

"_One day, you're going to wake up – whether it be on July first of 2012 or of 2042 – and realize what an awesome man you married."_

Well, she had enjoyed waking up on July second knowing it. Amanda smiled at her thoughts. She jumped a little when someone ribbed her, saying, "Hey, stranger."

Amanda snapped into awareness, looking at her assailant. Kasey.

"What are you doing here?" Amanda asked.

"We got a room here because of the reunion, same as you." Kasey grinned teasingly. "Is that all right with you?"

Amanda smirked. "Don't tease me; I haven't slept well all week."

"Oh yeah?" Kasey probed knowingly.

Amanda flushed. "You're awful. And you can forget that I said anything, because I'm not giving you any more details on all the various reasons for that sleep deprivation."

Kasey laughed. "Alright, alright. Even I can take a hint."

"That's a new development." Amanda quipped under her breath.

"I heard that."

"Are you hens going to stand there squawking all day, or are you going to get a move on so that we can get our coffee?"

Both Amanda and Kasey turned towards Kasey's husband - another ex-classmate, Jimmy - at the sound of his teasing voice.

"You may have a hen," David said from Jimmy's side. "But _I _have a queen."

"Uh-huh." Jimmy rolled his eyes. "And a lot of brownie points."

"Can't hurt my case, can it?" David grinned.

"Nope." Amanda answered for Jimmy, grin widening when David handed her a plate he had already made for her. "Can't hurt a bit."

* * *

Back at their house in Albany, David grabbed the _Love Dare_, flipping to day two.

_In addition to saying nothing negative to your spouse again today, do at least one unexpected gesture as an act of kindness._

David grinned. He'd gotten her breakfast at the hotel, so he had done the dare without even knowing about it. Day two done.

* * *

July 23, 2012

Dylan felt sick. Running out in the July heat of Georgia; he knew the dangers of overheating and he knew that he needed to get a drink soon. He considered his options. Going all the way home first wasn't a good idea. But then, wasn't David and Amanda's house just up the next block? They both worked , maybe someone would be home anyway. And if nothing else, the firehouse wasn't that far away. He changed course and ran all the way to David and Amanda's.

Amanda's car was there, so he figured that someone was home. Might as well try it. He loped up to the door and knocked.

"Who is it?" inquired the childish voice on the other side of the door. Olivia.

"Dylan Mitchell. Can I come in?"

Olivia cracked the door open and peeked out, staring up at him through the crack with one big brown eye. After his first misplaced comment to the little girl at Aunt Bea's, it seemed that they had worked out a fragile and – on his part – hard-earned truce.

"I guess." She agreed, smiling as she opened the door the rest of the way.

"Thank you." He stepped inside and she shut the door as he said, "Do you mind if I get a drink? I'm almost too hot."

"Sure. I don't think that Mommy would mind." Olivia turned and led him into the kitchen, pointing to the cabinet out of her reach where he could get a cup.

After taking a long drink of the water he had gotten, Dylan asked, "Is your mom here with you?"

"Yeah. She's in the bathroom right now. She wasn't feeling good, so when she stayed home, she said that I could too."

"That's nice."

Dylan hung around, figuring that he'd better stay long enough to say 'hi' to Amanda. But after twenty more minutes and no Amanda, Dylan became a little concerned.

Just as he was trying to decide whether or not to do something, she appeared from down the hallway. She looked startled to see him there, which was no surprise.

She wiped at the corners of her eyes, sniffed. "Dylan, hi."

"Hi. I came by to bum a drink off of you." He explained his presence, noticing the red, glassy look to her eyes. Not feverish; it looked more like she had been crying. He asked carefully, "Hey, are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah." She nodded. "My stomach was just a little messed up this morning, so I decided to stay home, just to be careful. You know, since I fix other people's food."

He nodded, hoping he looked more convinced then he felt. She was lying straight through her teeth about something. He tried to shrug it off.

"Hey, do you mind if I use your bathroom; then I promise I'll get out of your hair and leave you alone."

She didn't grin like he had hoped she would. He got nothing but a "sure." She was upset about something, but there was nothing that he could do about it, not if she wasn't going to talk, and probably not even if she had.

He was washing his hands when he noticed the box in the trashcan. It looked like she had put the tests back in the box after using them. And he could tell that at least two of them were positive.

_My stomach was a little messed up this morning._

He froze, remembering her teary eyes. By the way she had acted; they weren't happy tears. She didn't think that this was good news. But if he correctly remembered David's recounting of his gun range conversation with Nathan and the events surrounding Olivia's birth, he couldn't really blame her.

"_I told her to take care of it. She didn't do it. So I got mad and left her to deal with it herself."_

Was that what she was afraid of?

_I will be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Christ did for me._

Surely she knew that he had meant that. Meant it about her, no less. Surely she knew that.

* * *

**Okay, here we go! **

**I wasn't sure if I was going to take the baby angle, but I guess I'm going to. Just to see where it takes them. Am I evil? I'm not, right? Isn't she just overreacting? **

**And I'm not sure why I let Dylan in on this... But anyway... I was planning on just making this story a nice little one-shot to tie everything up, but that's obviously not what's going to happen here. Oh well.**

**Please review! Thanks so much!:)**


	2. Chapter 2

Amanda wanted to believe that she was overreacting. That everything was going to be okay, that nothing else was going to change. But – once again – with only one decision, everything had changed. Because she was carrying David Thomson's baby. Again.

_God, help me! _She prayed desperately.

"Olivia, why don't you and Duke go play outside?" Amanda suggested.

Olivia nodded and, after calling for the dog, disappeared into the outdoors. Amanda curled miserably into a ball on the couch, pulling a blanket down over herself. Tears were pressing once more against the backs of her eyes when Dylan came out of the bathroom, looking troubled about something.

"Mrs. T, are you sure that you're alright?" he asked, eyes swimming with worry.

She nodded weakly, and forced herself to sit up, paste on a smile. Or at least the closest thing to it that she could manage, anyway. "I'll be fine; I think that it's just a twenty-four hour bug or something."

Dylan shook his head. "That doesn't sound right. You didn't come to church yesterday morning, but you did for the evening service. And David said that you didn't feel too well Saturday morning.

"Amanda." He looked at her gravely, knowingly, advising, "Talk to David about it."

And so saying, he left. Amanda took the trash out, effectively hiding the tests from further discovery, and then resumed her fetal position on the couch, certain of one thing.

Dylan knew.

* * *

After leaving the Thomson's, Dylan ran long and hard, but thinking even harder. He thought that maybe Amanda had gotten the actual point behind his seemingly casual remark. He was sorely tempted to tell someone, but who? Who would help Amanda without it getting around to David? That meant that the usual adults – the Martinez's, the Hayes's, and his own parents – were out of the running. But maybe Jade… or Haley Brooks. If anyone, one of them.

But he wouldn't tell anyone quite yet. He'd wait and see if Amanda would simply tell David without all of the drama. That would be for the best, and it made the most sense to him. For now, he wouldn't interfere.

* * *

David Thomson knew that he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was no idiot either. So, on the way home from the sheriff's department, David reviewed the facts.

His wife had been sick the past three mornings.

Neither one of them had been prepared for what had happened at Valdosta, and to that end, David knew that pregnancy was a possibility. And he knew that she knew it, too. And judging by the way that she had started withdrawing from him again… at best, she regretted what they had done. At worst, she knew that she was carrying his child and was too afraid to tell him.

And, really, if the latter was the case, he didn't blame her for being afraid. But he would admit that it hurt all the same. For the past week, trying to get her to trust him had seemed like a hopeless battle, even with the guys' encouragement and Caleb's _Love Dare._ It made him physically sick to think that the trust and love that she had showed towards him during those first couple of weeks after Valdosta might be gone. He didn't care for how long it was absent - any amount of time was too long – but if she was pregnant, he just had to wait it out. Until she told him, or until it became obvious.

He sighed.

Whichever came first.

But until he found out to the affirmative, he couldn't really just jump the gun and assume that she was expecting… could he? No, he'd give her time; let her come around until she told him whatever it was that was bothering her.

For now, he wouldn't interfere.

* * *

Olivia opened the door to the house and crept inside. Shutting the door quietly behind her, she looked at Duke at her side and raised a finger to her lips. Since Mommy wasn't feeling good, she would do her best to be quiet while she got a drink. Dylan had been right; it was hot outside today.

But when she stopped, just outside the living room on her way to the kitchen, she heard crying. Olivia peeked carefully around the corner, making sure that it was Mommy who was crying. It was, but _why _was she crying? She was supposed to be happy now, since she and Daddy had gotten married.

Olivia nibbled at her lip, looking at Duke for an answer. But since he couldn't answer and probably didn't have an answer anyway, she took him by the collar and led him back outside, going as silently as she had come. Mommy never even saw her there.

She sat down on the steps, propping her hands under her chin, and looked at Duke. "What do you think is wrong?"

Duke just bumped her shoulder.

Olivia shoved him roughly away, upset and confused. "Stupid dog." She muttered.

Mommy and Daddy didn't like it when she said that word, but Mommy had said it a bunch of times earlier in the day when she had been in the bathroom before Dylan had come into the house. Was that why Mommy was upset? Had somebody done something "not smart" that Mommy didn't like?

She would ask Daddy when he came home, she decided, going over and sitting on the swing that Daddy had set up last week for her. He would be able to figure it out for her.

* * *

Despite his worries, David grinned when his house came into view. His daughter was swinging back and forth on the swing, looking towards the road and waiting for him to come home. Her faithful caretaker, Duke, was once again by her side.

His eyebrows drew together, though, as he caught sight of Olivia's expression. Something was wrong. He parked and hopped out of his truck, heading towards his little girl.

She met him halfway across the yard, saying, "Mommy's crying inside."

"What do you mean?" David asked, crouching down to her level.

Olivia pointed towards the house. "When I peeked in a minute ago, she was crying on the couch."

David raked a hand through his hair. "Alright, sweetheart."

"Daddy, I thought that everything was good now? Can you make it better again?"

"I thought so too, princess. And I'll do anything that I can to make her happy again, alright?"

"Alright, Daddy."

David pulled her into his arms for a long hug before he stood up and headed into the house.

* * *

**Please review! Thanks so much!:)**


	3. Chapter 3

David took off his shoes at the door and padded forward on socked feet to stand in the doorway of the living room. As Olivia had predicted, Amanda lay on the couch. She was covered in a blanket, and sleeping fitfully, her cheeks streaked red from tears that were still slowly making their way down her face. Her pretty face twisted, caught up in whatever she was dreaming, and she whimpered.

"God, help us." David whispered under his breath, approaching the couch.

His heart broke a little when he made out a coherent plea in her mumblings. "Don't leave us."

He gently shook her shoulder, needing to pull her from her nightmare, one that – in the past – he had willingly caused for her.

"Amanda, c'mon Milady, wake up now. It's just a dream. Wake up."

She awoke with a small gasp, shoving away from his touch. "David."

"Hey," he murmured, sliding to his knees beside the couch.

Amanda closed her eyes, tensing wordlessly as she allowed him to brush her bangs back out of her face.

As the tendrils fell from his fingertips, he pressed his palm to her cheek, then her forehead, asking softly, "How are you feeling now? Any better?"

She brushed his hand away, snapping, "I don't have a fever, David."

"But how do you feel?" he questioned, noting the red streaks on her cheeks that meant dried tears.

"Better. Sort of. In a way. Mostly worse."

He wanted to ask her about the possibility of a baby, because he knew that she could know by now, but he didn't. Something in her eyes stopped him from voicing the question.

He sighed. "Is there anything that I can do?"

She shook her head, "No."

"Alright." He got to his feet. "Well, if you think of anything, you can tell me. After all, I just got home. I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

As soon as Olivia had been put to bed that night, David could feel the difference in the air between him and his wife. This felt like the night of their wedding. She had pulled back into herself, afraid and in pain. And short of calling her on it, David didn't know what to do to help her.

"I'm going to bed." David announced.

Amanda nodded. "I think that I'll sleep in here tonight." She waved a hand at the living room couch.

Yep, they were definitely back at some version of square one.

David sighed heavily. "Amanda, we've discussed this. If you need space, tell me and I'll back off. As it is, there is absolutely no way I'm letting you take the couch. I will." Seeing that she was about to object, he tacked on the sentence, "Either I take it or neither of us do."

A split second of indecision before his bride nodded. "Alright."

David walked back over to the couch and took a hesitant seat next to her. "Amanda, do you want to tell me what's wrong? Something happened today, has been going on for the past week-"

"No." She cut him off harshly before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, explaining haltingly, "I just… can't. Not tonight. Not yet."

"Milady," He gently took her hand, trying and failing to get her to meet his sincere gaze. "You know that I'm here for you, no matter what, right?"

She jerked into a standing position and headed down the hallway. "Goodnight, David."

* * *

July 24, 2012

Amanda arched her eyebrows when the phone rang.

"Who would be calling this late?" David asked, looking away from the late-night television program that the two of them were watching.

"I have no idea." Amanda said, reaching for the phone. "Hello?"

"Amanda? It's Haley Brooks. I can't get him to stop. I've tried everything. What do I do?"

The teenager sounded close to tears, much like Amanda could hear Haley's three-week-old son screaming. Amanda ran through a number of solutions with Haley declaring in increasing desperation that she had tried each.

"Have you tried driving him around? He likes riding in his car seat, right?"

"Just randomly driving around?"

"Yeah. It actually worked a couple of times for Olivia."

"You know what? I'll try it. Thanks, Amanda."

Amanda smiled softly. "Anytime. Call me back if that doesn't work, alright?"

"Alright. Thanks so much."

"You're welcome so much."

Amanda put the phone back in its cradle, sighing softly.

"What was that?" David asked with a horrified expression.

Amanda half-smiled at her hands, memories of that hard first month with Olivia flooding her mind. "Cody Brooks."

"Poor Haley. Where was Bobby?"

Amanda raised her head, feeling her eyebrows rise at the same time. "He has a place of his own. After all, they're not married yet."

"Yeah. Right. They're just always together. It's kind of easy to forget that they're _not_ married."

Amanda laughed, but she had to agree.

Twenty minutes later, both she and David were startled again by a knock on the door.

_What on earth? _Amanda opened the door to see a disheveled Haley standing on the other side of said door.

"He _just won't stop. _I didn't know what else to do." The teenager was crying now as Amanda ushered her into the house and shut the door behind her.

"It's alright." Amanda assured her, taking the baby, car seat and all, from his mother and setting it on the living room coffee table. She spoke as much to mother as she did to child when she repeated, taking Cody out of his car seat. "It's alright, sweetheart."

David just stayed on the couch, knowing that it was probably best for him to stay out of the way for now. Amanda settled in the lazy boy, rocking the ever screaming infant as Haley folded onto the couch on the opposite side as David.

"I am a horrible mother." Haley sobbed over Cody's screams.

Amanda wanted to refute that, but Cody upped the volume on his screams and Amanda knew that talking would be impractical until the child was quieted. In desperation, she looked to David, eyes begging him to help somehow. She had meant for him to talk to Haley, but he had other ideas.

He stood up and walked to Amanda, reaching for the baby. "Here, let me try." He leaned in towards her ear and suggested, "Maybe you could take Haley back into the bedroom or somewhere, get her away from Cody for a few minutes. Give her time to breathe. Talk to her, since you know what this is like."

Amanda bit her lip before she nodded, handing Cody over and then pulling Haley to her feet and leading her down the hallway.

After ten minutes, the teenager's tears had stopped and Haley was in a much better frame of mind.

"Hey, listen." Haley said in wonderment.

Amanda listened, eyebrows drawn together as they sat together on the edge of the bed. "I don't hear anything."

"Exactly." Haley scrambled up off of the bed and down the hallway. "David got Cody to stop crying."

Amanda followed Haley into the living room. Both of their mouths dropped at what they saw. David was calmly rocking in the lazy boy, a silent Cody sleeping peacefully in his arms. David looked up from the baby, to them, and put a finger to his lips.

"How?" Haley whispered in shocked awe. "You are a miracle worker."

"Nah." David shrugged. "He just... wore himself out, I guess. I just happened to be the lucky guy holding him when that happened."

"Well, you're still good with him. Actually, all the kids like you, don't they?"

Another shrug from David. "I guess. It's just 'cause I'm willing to get down to their level and mess around with them."

"Well you're obviously good with the babies too." Amanda jumped when Haley continued, stating, "I think that you'd do well with one of those of your own."

David's gaze flickered carefully between Haley and Amanda, who couldn't meet his gaze, before he said, "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like to think that I would."

* * *

**Please review! Thanks so much!:)**


	4. Chapter 4

July 25, 2012

Amanda had just gotten home from work, and, after getting comfortable, had decided to pick up a little around the house before David picked up Olivia from daycare and came home. On the coffee table, a notebook caught her eye. She had seen David reading its contents off and on, but hadn't thought about it. But for some reason her curiosity piqued and she picked the book up, reading the title page. _The Love Dare_. Huh.

She flipped to the page that was marked by a bookmark.

_**Love Forgives**_

_What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ. – 2 Corinthians 2:10_

_This one is tough – perhaps the toughest dare in the book. But if there is to be any hope for your marriage, this is a challenge that must absolutely be taken seriously. Counselors and ministers who deal with broken couples on a regular basis will tell you that this is the most complex problem of all, a rupture that is often the last to be repaired. It cannot just be considered and contemplated but must be deliberately put into practice. Forgiveness has to happen, or a successful marriage won't._

_Jesus painted a vivid image of forgiveness in His parable of the ungrateful servant. A man who owed a sizable sum of money was surprised when his master heard his appeals for mercy and totally canceled his debt. But upon being released from this enormous load, the servant did a most unexpected thing; he went to another man who owed him a much smaller amount and demanded immediate payment. When the master heard of it, things changed dramatically in his arrangement with the slave. "His lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him" (Matthew 18:34). A day that had begun with joy and relief ended in grief and hopelessness._

_Torture. Prison. When you think of unforgiveness, this is what should come to your mind, for Jesus said, "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of does not forgive his brother from your heart" (Matthew 18:35)._

_Imagine you find yourself in a prison-like setting. As you look around, you see a number of cells visible from where you're standing. You see people from your past incarcerated there – people who wounded you as a child. You see people you once called friends but who wronged you at some point in life. You might see one or both of your parents there, perhaps a brother or sister or some other family member. Even your spouse is locked in nearby, trapped with all the others in this jail of your own making._

_This prison, you see, is a room in your own heart. This dark, drafty, depressing chamber exists inside you every day. But not far away, Jesus is standing there, extending to you a key that will release every inmate._

_No. You don't want any part of it. These people have hurt you too badly. They knew what they were doing and yet they did it anyway – even your spouse, the one you should have been able to count on most of all. So you resist and turn away. You're unwilling to stay here any longer – seeing Jesus, seeing the key in His hand, knowing what He's asking you to do. It's just too much._

_But in trying to escape, you make a startling discovery. There is no way out. You're trapped inside with all other captives. Your unforgiveness, anger, and bitterness have made a prisoner of you as well. Like the servant in Jesus' story, who was forgiven an impossible debt, you have chosen not to forgive and have been handed over to the jailers and torturers. Your freedom is now dependent on your forgiveness._

_Coming to this conclusion usually takes us a while. We see all kinds of dangers and risks involved in forgiving others. For instance, what they did was really wrong, whether they admit it or not. They may not even be sorry about it. They may feel perfectly justified in their actions, even going so far as to blame you for it. But forgiveness doesn't absolve anyone of blame. It doesn't clear their record with God. It just clears you of having to worry about how to punish them. When you forgive another person, you're not turning them loose. You're just turning them over to God, who can be counted on to deal with them His way. You're saving yourself the trouble of scripting any more arguments or trying to prevail in this situation. It's not about winning and losing anymore. It's about freedom. It's about letting go._

_That's why you often hear people who have genuinely forgiven say, "It felt like a weight being lifted off my shoulders." Yes, that's exactly what it is. It's like a breath of fresh air rushing into your heart. The stale dankness of the prison house is flooded with light and coolness. For the first time in a long time, you feel at peace. You feel free._

_But how do you do it? You release your anger and the responsibility for judging this person to the Lord. "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord" (Romans 12:19)._

_How do you know you've done it? You know it when the thought of their name or the sight of their face – rather than causing your blood to boil – causes you to feel sorry for them instead, to pity them, to genuinely hope they get this turned around._

_There's so much more that could be said and so many emotional issues you may need to fight through to get there. But great marriages are not created by people who never hurt each other, only by people who choose to keep "no record of wrongs" (1 Corinthians 13:5)._

_**Today's Dare**_

_Whatever you haven't forgiven in your mate, forgive it today. Let it go. Just as we ask Jesus to "forgive us our debts" each day, we must ask Him to help us "forgive our debtors" each day as well. Unforgiveness has been keeping you and your spouse in prison too long. Say from your heart, "I choose to forgive."_

_Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing. (Luke 23:34)._

What on earth was this? She wondered vaguely, sitting down on the couch slowly, reading over the entry once more.

Forgive it today. The words hammered themselves at her mind, her heart. But she had forgiven David, hadn't she? If she had, if she had truly chosen to forgive him, to trust him, then why was she hiding the baby from him? Because she hadn't. She didn't hold his actions against him any longer, but somewhere along the way, she had picked up the same old mistrust and hurt.

Amanda laid the book aside, sliding to her knees in prayer. "Lord, help me to forgive David. To forgive him today, right now. Help me to trust him. To love him. Give me peace in this life with him and courage to tell him about our child. Help us to be all that we can be together under You. Forgive me too, for not letting go and trusting You and Your plan. Help me to move ahead into the future without the weight of the past holding me back."

Tears slid down her face as she felt the weight lift off of her shoulders and for the first time in too many years, she felt well and truly free from the regrets, fear, and bitterness. She felt free. But she felt something else too. Because not only had she made her heart right with David, but also with her God. She had put her trust back in Him, the God who had felt increasingly distant since David had reentered her life.

She smiled through her tears. "Thank you, Father."

She rose to sit on the couch once again, drying her tears and composing herself. A moment later, the front door opened and Olivia streaked towards her bedroom with no greeting other than an absent-minded, "Hi, Mommy."

"Hi, sweetie." Amanda answered with a laugh.

And then he stepped around the corner; she could feel his presence there, watching her. David.

* * *

**Please review! Thanks so much! Sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter up. Two more chapters to this story, tops.:)**


	5. Chapter 5

"Milady, are you alright?" David asked. "You look a little…?"

What was he supposed to say? Happy? Because that was it. She looked happy, and, sadly enough, that caught him off guard.

"I'm fine." She promised standing up from the couch. She walked over to him, taking his hand and giving him a kiss. All with a smile. "How was your day at work?"

"Fine." He answered slowly, looking at her suspiciously. "How was yours?" He was more than a little curious.

"Nothing interesting to report."

He thought that there must be something interesting to report, otherwise she would not be smiling still.

"Hey," she continued. "Do you mind if I call and ask the Mitchells to take Olivia home with them after church services tonight? Maybe she could spend the night and then tomorrow with Victoria and Dylan."

"Yeah, sure, if you keep this mood up."

"Oh, trust me," she leaned in closer. "It's only going to get better." Her smile faltered for a second as she added. "I hope."

David squeezed her hand, thinking that maybe he had a clue as to what she was talking about, and smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure it will."

Amanda smiled, kissed him once more and stepped outside to call the Mitchells. Only then did David notice that the _Love Dare _was still open on the couch.

* * *

"Dylan, can you get that?"

Dylan heard his mother's request concerning the ringing phone over the noise of his video game. He paused the game and bolted out of his room.

"Yeah. Mitchell residence."

"Wow, 'residence'. Big word, track star."

"I also know 'supercalifradilisticexpealid ocious'." Dylan shot back to the familiar young woman on the other end of the phone.

Amanda laughed. "Okay then. Well, I have a question for your parents. Would you mind keeping Olivia over night after church tonight?"

"I will go ask. Hold please."

"Okay. Thanks."

Dylan loped into the living room, hoping the request meant what he thought it did, and relayed Amanda's question to his parents.

Victoria bit her lip. "I promised Kayla that I would go with her to the clinic tomorrow morning, remember?"

"Mom, please?" Dylan entreated. "I can watch her in the morning. I think that this might be really important to Amanda. Please?"

"If you're sure…" Victoria agreed hesitantly.

Dylan nodded. "I'm sure."

"Well… okay."

"Thanks, Mom."

Dylan turned to go back to the phone, but stopped when his mom added, "Hey, Dylan?"

"Yeah?"

"You're turning out to be a pretty good big brother to that girl, you know it?"

Dylan smiled. "Thanks." The comment really did mean a lot. "But in this case, it's more of a little brother thing." So saying, he turned and ran for the phone. "Okay, I'm back. Mom said that that'll be fine. As long as you're okay with me being the one to watch Olivia for a few hours in the morning."

"Oh, well, you don't have to do that. If it's going to put you out, I could call someone else."

"That's alright. I want to."

It took Amanda a second to answer. "Why?" she finally asked cryptically.

"I think I know what's going on." Dylan answered after a pause of his own.

"I know you do." Amanda answered softly. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Dylan shrugged, shifting even though she couldn't see him. "I told you to talk to him."

"Yeah, but you never ratted me out."

"Not my place at all, and my saying something could've done much more harm than good. You were already upset with David, and I saw the silent treatment that got him, probably along with a bunch of other stuff that I didn't see. I didn't want you upset with me. Olivia's wrath was enough dislike from the Williams girls for me, thanks."

"We're Thomsons." Her correction came so quickly that Dylan knew she hadn't even thought before saying it.

"Yes, you are. You're both a part of our whole big, crazy, Resolution family now too, right?"

"Right." Dylan smiled at her answer. "And, if I may be more specific, I think that out of the lot of you guys, if I had to claim parents, I'd claim yours as mine too. You're mom's been more vocal with me than Kayla has."

Dylan nodded. "They're pretty great parents."

"Yeah, and I think that I got a pretty awesome little brother out of it too."

His grin widened. "Yeah, well, his crazy older sister isn't half bad, either."

Amanda laughed. "Thanks for the compliment, I think."

Dylan chuckled.

"Alright. Well, thanks, Dylan."

"Anytime. And, hey, good luck, Mrs. T. I'll be praying for you two."

"Thanks. 'Bye."

Bye, sis."

* * *

After arriving back at their house following church that evening, David went into the bedroom and changed into his pajamas, ready to get comfortable for the remainder of the day. When he reemerged, Amanda was curled up on the couch, flipping through the _Love Dare_.

"What do you think?" David asked concerning the book, taking a seat beside her.

"It's interesting. I especially like the idea of the last dare."

"I haven't looked that far." David leaned over her shoulder to look. "What is it?"

"Renewing our vows."

"Already?" David asked with a small laugh. "We haven't even been married a month. Forty days, when the time for that dare rolls around."

"Yeah," Amanda agreed slowly. "But if we renewed them, it would be real that time. I kind of like the idea, I think that it's exciting."

"You do?"

Amanda nodded.

"Would you wear a white dress?" David bargained.

Amanda sighed. "No. Wearing white still represents purity, and if I had kept that for the right time, we still wouldn't be in this position. No matter what, those two facts still apply, and they always will."

"Fine," David pretended to pout. "But you'll have to make it up to me somehow."

Her eyes sparkled. "I think that I know how I could do that."

David pulled her close, kissing her until she put her hands on his shoulders and leaned gently away.

"But first… there's something that I need to tell you."

David grinned. "Can you make it quick?"

She glared at him before her gaze became uncertain. His gaze cooled down as he became more solemn, her fear punishing him anew for what he had done to her in college.

"Maybe I'm right." He said softly. "Make it quick and just say it, like pulling off a Band-Aid. Make it less painful that way."

Amanda took a deep breath. "Don't be mad at me." She murmured, suddenly unable to meet his gaze.

"Mad at you?" David repeated in confusion before shaking his head and tilting her chin so that she had no choice but to look in his eyes. "Milady, I am not mad at you." Mirth sparked in his eyes. "Last time I checked, things like this are my fault too."

With that she realized: "You already know."

He nodded. "Yep."

Her entire posture relaxed and she curled back into his embrace. "Why on earth didn't you say something?"

"Because I wanted to see if you could trust me enough to tell me on your own."

"Well… I didn't tell you. You just told me that you knew. So does that even count?"

"I don't know. Why does it matter whether or not you actually say it?"

Amanda shrugged. "To prove to myself that I can."

"Well." David leaned back to meet her gaze, looking at her expectantly.

Amanda grinned before telling him softly, "David, we're going to have a baby."

"Great!" David said enthusiastically before taking her hand. "Now how hard was that to tell me?"

"It wasn't, I guess." Amanda admitted sheepishly. "Not like that."

"Good. See, now this is what I would call exciting news. A kid." David leaned back against the couch. "Wow. A kid. A real, breathing, little bitty kid." He turned to Amanda as _his _eyes filled with fear. "What if I can't handle a baby?"

"Then I'll ship you to Haley for a week of infant care training before our baby comes along." She answered without missing a beat.

"Okay, I'll learn, I'll learn. No need to go to such drastic measures." David answered quickly, throwing his hands up in surrender.

Amanda grinned before her thoughts took a turn. "Now, about the vow renewal. If we – by which I mostly mean the other women and I – start planning it sometime this week, there's a chance that we could actually have it on your fortieth day of the _Dare_. Would that be okay?"

"Knock yourself out." David replied. "But I still really wish that you would wear a wedding dress. How about the one that Jade and Kayla gave you?"

"We'll see." Amanda answered with a frown, before a smile slid across her features and she kissed him. "But let's not worry about that now."

* * *

**Please review! Really, I mean that; I need the pick-me-up. I lost an entire story that I was going to post:(**

**Thanks so much! Sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter up. There will be two more chapters to this story.:)  
**


	6. Chapter 6

August 7, 2012

Dylan shuffled behind his mother in the resale shop, fighting the desire to pout. "Why did I have to come with you?"

"Because I need your help looking for the last couple of things for the wedding. Do you want to see what vases they have for the flower arrangements on the tables or do you want to go look at wedding cake toppers? Whichever you don't want, I'll take."

Dylan almost laughed. "Wedding cake toppers?"

His preoccupied mother took that to be his answer and pointed out the direction in which he should go.

"Can I look at the video games when I'm done with your cake stuff?" Dylan asked hopefully.

"Fine." Victoria gave him five dollars for a game, ten for the toppers, and sent him on his way.

On his way to the cake toppers, he stopped for some reason when a blood-red shawl on a manikin caught his eye. He thought of the explanation that Jade had given him as to why Amanda wouldn't wear a proper wedding dress, and an idea struck him. He checked the price tag on the shawl.

_$4.85_

Dylan looked down at Lincoln's face glaring up at him from his hand. He sighed, sliding the shawl off of the manikin, folding it, and carrying it with him.

It was worth a try.

* * *

August 8, 2012

"I still don't understand why you wanted to come with me so bad." Victoria said, parking in David and Amanda's driveway.

"I have something that I want to talk to Amanda about." Dylan answered vaguely climbing out of the car and slinging his backpack – which contained the shawl – over his shoulder before jogging up to the door.

"Hi, Dylan." Jade greeted him when he came into the kitchen with his mom on his heels.

Jade and Kayla were busy working on the wedding cake.

"Hi." He returned, looking around. "Is Amanda here?"

"She's doing something in her bedroom, I think." Kayla answered.

Dylan nodded and headed down the hallway. The bedroom door was cracked open, and he saw Amanda wearing the dress that Jade and Kayla had bought for her, twisting this way and that in front of the mirror, and nibbling thoughtfully on her lip.

Dylan knocked on the door and Amanda gasped.

He stuck his head in. "Hey, sis."

Amanda glanced self-consciously down at the dress she was wearing. "Hey, kid."

"Jade was right." Dylan gestured hesitantly towards the dress that she obviously hadn't meant for anyone to see her wearing. "You look pretty. David is right to want to see you in it."

Amanda shook her head. "Thanks, but the answer is 'no', Dylan."

"I know you think that, and Jade told me why. But I think that you're wrong."

Amanda's gaze snapped to meet his, warning him to step carefully.

"No, listen. You know the Scripture verse that goes something like 'old things are passed away, all things become new'?"

"Yeah."

"Do you believe that?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Well, then… weren't the sins washed away when you were saved?"

She stiffened, understanding where he was going. "Yeah. But I'm not just going to pretend that it didn't happen."

"Okay. I'm not asking you to. Since you're hung up on the symbolism of that dress, would you consider the symbolism of something else?"

"Like what?"

Dylan sat his backpack on the floor, taking out the shawl and placing it across Amanda's shoulders before motioning for her to look at the full effect in the mirror.

"Covered by the blood." Dylan replied. "Because of His blood – the shawl – our sins are wiped away and the slate is clean now. Like the dress – white."

"And pure." Amanda whispered, catching his eye in the mirror. She nodded. "Thanks, Dylan. I… I think that this'll work."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I could help."

"What's going on in here?" Victoria asked, peeking in.

"Nothing." Dylan replied quickly.

"Uh-huh." Victoria looked curiously between Dylan and Amanda before she caught sight of Amanda's dress. She came into the room completely, eyes widening. "Oh… Amanda, is this what you're wearing tomorrow?"

Amanda smoothed the dress out, answering, "Yeah. But, hey, nobody tells David; I want it to be a surprise for him."

Victoria nodded. "Hey, Dylan, are you ready to go? Kayla approved the two toppers you picked out."

Dylan nodded. "Just one more minute. Please?"

"Alright, I'll be out in the car."

Dylan nodded and Victoria disappeared.

He turned back to Amanda. "One more thing." He plunged his arm into his backpack again, showing her what else he had bought. "I gave Mom the bride and groom, but she doesn't know that I bought these too."

Amanda grinned, taking the two cake toppers in his hands and looking at them. A little girl dressed in pink and a baby swaddled in a yellow blanket.

"I know that you and David haven't told anyone but your parents yet, but I had to get them for you."

"That's fine, perfect, actually. We were planning on telling everyone tomorrow, and this will be a really fun way of doing it. You, sir, are magnificent."

Dylan flushed. "Thanks."

"Should we try and sneak them past Kayla tomorrow?"

Dylan grinned wickedly. "Leave the sneakiness to me, sister dear. I'll take care of everything."

Amanda laughed at the look in his eye, handing the cake toppers back to him. "I'm sure you will. But I don't want to know how, do I?"

"Probably not." Dylan put the toppers back in his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder in preparation to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow at the wedding."

"Alright; see you later."

"And, hey, if anyone asks, the shawl and kid toppers came from my mother."

Amanda grinned to herself as Dylan closed the bedroom door behind himself, whispering, "Of course they did."

* * *

**Please review! Really, I mean that; I need the pick-me-up. I lost an entire story that I was going to post:(**

**Thanks so much! Sorry that** **this chapter is on the shorter side. Next chapter is the last one!:)**


	7. Chapter 7

August 9, 2012

Jade gasped with glee when she stepped into the room where Marsha, Kasey, Haley, and Victoria were getting Amanda ready for her walk down the aisle.

Amanda turned at the sound, grinning when she saw Jade. "What do you think?" Amanda asked.

"I love it! You look wonderful!"

"My daughter thinks that I look like a princess." Amanda informed her.

"No," Marsha disagreed. "Olivia's a princess and that means that you're a queen, remember?"

Amanda's grin widened because, at least this time around, on this wedding day, she felt like a queen as well. And she could not wait to marry her king charming.

* * *

David fought to keep his jaw from dropping as his bride walked towards him down the aisle. She was wearing the dress! A real, white, wedding dress. And, wow, she looked gorgeous.

But it wasn't the dress that made her that way, he realized. It was Amanda herself – glowing with happiness and smiling from ear to ear. Thrilled to be marrying him all over again.

But this was the first time that it felt like a real wedding, with all of the emotions he associated with such a thing. Because this was not something that they were doing for Olivia, or for propriety's sake, or even because it was the right thing to do. They were doing it for themselves. For each other. Because they loved each other.

* * *

Right after the wedding, while people were still milling around outside, Dylan snuck inside, into the kitchen, and up to the wedding cake that Kayla had made. He pulled one cake topper out of each side pocket of his suit, placing first the little girl and then the baby on the cake, in front of the bride and groom.

And then he waited until Kayla poked her head in and asked him if he could carry it out to the table already laden with food.

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Picking up the cake, he took it outside and placed it on the table.

Now that he had done his part, all that he had to do was wait.

* * *

As soon as David could, he pulled Dylan aside and ducked inside with him.

"Shouldn't you be outside with the rest of the party?" Dylan asked. "After all, you are the man of the hour."

"They'll be okay for a few minutes. I just… I wanted to thank you. Last night, Amanda told me everything that you've done for her in the past couple of weeks, and I wanted you to know that it really means a lot to me. It's nice to know that there's someone else looking out for her. And Olivia. And Peanut."

"Nah." Dylan shrugged it away. "You're welcome, but it's no big deal at all. I just wanted to help."

"Amanda's just now getting used to all of this help from this family, and it means a lot to her. And that makes it mean a lot to me. So thanks."

"Sure. Anytime you need a babysitter, I'm available…" He paused before adding, "…For Olivia. 'Peanut' may be above my pay grade."

David laughed. "Yeah… your turn will come, though."

"Eventually. And your turn is now, so enough of me. Get back out there, prince charming. Isn't it about time for your big reveal?"

"Yeah, actually." Amanda spoke up from the doorway through which she had just come. "I can only guard that cake for so long, so hurry up."

"Alright, here we go." David said, hooking his arm through his wife's.

* * *

Carmen screamed. Nathan whooped. They received a firm "I knew it!" from Haley, and "I thought so"s from Victoria and Kayla.

"Congratulations." David turned when – a few minutes later – Jade approached him from behind and spoke.

"Thanks." David grinned down at her.

"I guess now you get that second chance that you two were talking about that day at the Mitchells' that we all met Haley."

David blinked, wondering for a second how she had heard them. "Yeah, we do." He paused before saying thoughtfully, "But that's not the only second chance that I feel like I've gotten."

"Oh?"

"I really messed up my relationship with Wendy."

"Your sister?" Jade asked in confusion.

He nodded, clearing his throat. "Yeah. I – I don't know, I kind of feel like, maybe, I got a little sister in you, you know. Is that weird for me to say?"

Jade grinned. "Did Amanda tell you to say that?"

It was David's turn to be confused at that comment. "No."

"Then, no, it's not weird at all. I never asked for a big brother, but I think that you make a pretty good one."

"Well, thanks. And I've never had a _little_ sister, but I'm glad that – if I had to have one – I got you."

Jade grinned. "I'm glad that you got me, too."

* * *

Later that night, as David carried Olivia into the house, he asked, "Look at that, Liv. It's the first star of the night. Should we make a wish?"

Olivia looked at that star for a long minute, thinking, and then looked back at him. "No."

"No? Why not?"

"There's nothing left to wish for. Everything is perfect now."

David smiled, kissing his daughter on the cheek. "I agree, Princess. I agree completely."

* * *

After putting Olivia to bed, David curled up on the couch for a minute with Amanda.

She sighed, laying her head against his chest. "You know that moment when you're reading a book, when you know that it's coming to the end, but everything is finally so perfect that you want to stay in that part of the story forever?" she asked. "Right now is like that. The story is finally perfect, and I want to stay here forever."

"I don't know," David mused. "If we stay here forever, we never get to the part of the story that says 'and they all lived happily ever after'. And I for one want to know what happily ever after is like with you, my queen."

Amanda smiled, kissing him. "I agree, King David."

* * *

**Please review! This is the last chapter in the whole series, and I hoped you enjoyed this series as much as I did. My next projects are a few one-shots: for Courageous (called "No Greater Joy," written to the tune of "The Carpenter's Son.") and for Criminal Minds ("Knowledge" and an as of yet untitled addition to my Leah/Reid series.)  
**

**Thanks for all of the reviews thus far! You guys really make my day!:)**


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